Acer launches ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ edition notebooks in India

Acer is brining three special-edition laptops to India in association with Marvel Studios. They are inspired by the fictional characters of the upcoming movie, Avengers: Infinity War. This special lineup includes the Aspire 6 (Captain America Edition), Nitro 5 (Thanos Edition) and Swift 3 (Iron Man Edition). The notebooks will be in India from April 20.

The Nitro 5 Thanos Edition is powered by a 7th-generation Intel Core i5-7300HQ processor and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 graphics with 4GB of RAM which is further upgradable up to 32GB. You also get a 15.6-inch Full HD IPS display and dual exhaust fans with Acer’s Coolboost technology. The laptop costs INR 80,999 (US$ 1,233) for the configuration with a 1TB HDD and 128GB SSD.

Acer Swift 3

The lightweight Swift 3 features an aluminum top with Iron Man’s Arc Reactor, which also glows when the laptop is switched on. It has an 8th-generation Intel Core i5-8250U processor, Intel UHD Graphics 620, 256GB SSD, and 8GB of RAM. You also get a 14-inch Full HD IPS display, Type-C port, and up to 10 hours of battery life for INR 79,999 (US$ 1,217).

Commenting on the launch, Chandrahas Panigrahi, CMO and Consumer Business Head of Acer India said, “We’re excited to work again with Disney Consumer Products and Marvel to bring technology even closer to consumers through their favorite characters. The Pixar 30th Anniversary Toy Story special edition of the Acer Aspire V13 we launched in 2017 was a huge success. With the new series of notebooks, we hope to engage fans of the Avengers and the Marvel Cinematic Universe; as well as users who are looking for a versatile notebook for work, for entertainment, and for exceptional gaming experience.”

Microsoft is finally launching the Surface Go in more Asian markets

The Surface Go is the latest and most affordable Surface product from Microsoft that runs on Windows 10. It is an affordable offering to take on tablets from Apple and Samsung. The 2-in-1 device competes against the likes of the Apple iPad Pro and Samsung Galaxy S4 Tab.

Microsoft has partnered with Flipkart for online sales with introductory offers, including INR 4,000 off on Type Cover, free Hungama Play subscription worth INR 799, and discount offers from Thomas Cook and Kaya Clinic.

The 2-in-1 comes with a 10-inch LCD display that has an aspect ratio of 3:2. Like all other Surface products, it supports use of the Surface Pen for creative as well as note-taking purposes. It is 8.3mm thin and weighs just 520 grams.

Powering the Surface Go is a 7th-generation Intel Pentium Gold Processor coupled with Intel HD Graphics 615. The company claims it can offer up to nine hours of battery life with moderate usage and also houses a microSDXC card slot for memory expansion.

On the rear is an 8-megapixel camera while the front has a 5-megapixel sensor for video calls. It also includes Windows Hello for quick authentication. Charging is done via a Surface Connect port along with a USB-C port and 3.5mm headphone jack.

The portable machine is built to perform every task a normal Windows 10 computer can, offering increased flexibility and reliability when on the go. Though, this laptop-cum-tablet is built for light tasks like mails, browsing, streaming, and writing.

Understandably, the ZenFone Max M2 is rocking a slightly less powerful chipset than what the Pro variant has. It’s using the new Snapdragon 632 processor with either 3GB or 4GB of memory and up to 64GB of storage.

Its 6.26-inch display is less sharp because of its HD+ resolution, but it still has a full-screen design and, of course, a notch. ASUS has to cut corners in battery capacity as well by putting a humbler 4000mAh cell. It’s still bigger than most, though.

It also has a rear-mounted fingerprint reader that works hand-in-hand with face unlock using the front camera.

Speaking of camera, the ZenFone Max M2 is equipped with an AI-enabled 13-megapixel main shooter paired with a 2-megapixel depth sensor. For selfies, there’s an 8-megapixel front snapper with its own LED flash.

The phone runs a stock version of Android, which is something that fans asked for according to ASUS. It’s still on Oreo with no timeline for when Pie is coming. Just to be clear, this is not an Android One phone, so don’t expect timely software updates for it.

Pricing starts at INR 9,999 in India for the 3GB+32GB variant and INR 11,999 for the 4GB+64GB model. In Indonesia, Lazada will exclusively offer the ZenFone Max M2 starting at IDR 2,300,000.

Nokia 8.1 is here to reclaim the midrange segment

The Nokia 7 Plus was launched earlier this year and has been among the most acclaimed midrange phones. While other companies have been trying their luck with trendy short-lived features like the notch, increasing megapixels, and AI-backed smart additions, HMD Global focused on making just a perfect smartphone.

Carrying the same legacy forward, the Nokia 8.1 has been announced globally and quickly made its way to India. The Finnish licensee has been making a mark in developing markets steadily and intends to let its products speak for themselves instead of spending millions on marketing.

The Nokia 8.1 has been priced at INR 26,999 and is available in Blue/Silver and Iron/Steel color options. It will go on sale starting December 25 via Amazon, Nokia.com, and offline partner retailers. Pre-booking the phone will entitle you to six-month screen replacement warranty from Servify and 10 percent cash back on HDFC Bank credit and debit card.

The phone has a very premium design and unlike its predecessor, the Nokia 8.1 has an all-glass back. The body is built with 6000-series aluminum that has dual tone color coating.

On the front is a 6.18-inch Full HD+ display with an aspect ratio of 18.7:9 aspect ratio. The brand has emphasized its PureDisplay screen technology that offers a higher contrast ratio and sharper output along with HDR10 support.

Powering this device is the recently launched Snapdragon 710 SoC along with 4GB of RAM. The internal storage continues to be 64GB, though it’s expandable via a microSD card.

The back has ZEISS-powered 12- and 13-megapixel dual-cameras while the front has a single 20-megapixel selfie shooter. Backing these internals is a 3500mAh battery that supports 18W fast charging. In line with all Nokia-branded phones, the Nokia 8.1 is a part of the Android One program and ships with Android 9 Pie out of the box.